REAL NZ Festival in Wellington

The REAL New Zealand Festival is a nationwide celebration of all the things we love most about New Zealand, with events and experiences throughout the country.

The REAL New Zealand Festival brings your Rugby World Cup 2011 experience alive with a nationwide celebration of New Zealand arts, food and wine, heritage, culture, entertainment, business and lifestyle.

2012 NZ International Rugby Sevens (7s) Wellington

Tickets to summer’s premier event, the New Zealand International Sevens, will go on sale to the General Public on Tuesday 4 October at 9am.

The tournament will again take place in the first weekend of February (Friday 3 February and Saturday 4 February 2012), with Waitangi Day following on the Monday, allowing visitors and fans to experience an extended weekend full of excitement in the Capital.

Dates: Friday 3 - Saturday 4 February 2012




Where: Westpac Stadium Wellington




Tickets: Ticketek

Eddie Izzard – Stripped

Hailed as one of the foremost stand up comedians of his generation, comic genius Eddie Izzard will bring his deliriously funny show “Stripped” to New Zealand after a gap of eight years.

Audiences of all ages can’t get enough of this comedy superstar. He breaks all the rules in comedy and will have you laughing harder than you have ever laughed before. He takes ideas and situations and extrapolates them into bizarre, absurd and surreal comic narratives.

From selling out Madison Square Garden and Wembley Arena to being the first solo stand up comedian to sell out the Hollywood Bowl and performing his show in French for three months in Paris, Eddie Izzard has become a comedic powerhouse that cannot be stopped. Nothing can prepare you for what you will experience in his hit show Stripped.

Don’t miss your chance to see Eddie Izzard live.

Dates: 07 Nov 2011 (Mon) - 08 Nov 2011 (Tue)




Where: St James Theatre Wellington




Tickets: Ticketek

Wellington Spring Festival 2011

Celebrate the end of winter and arrival of spring at Wellington’s annual Spring Festival.

Dates: Friday 9 September to Sunday 9 October, 2011






Where: Wellington Botanic Garden, 101 Glenmore Street, Wellington

Diwali Festival of Lights 2011

Bring along the whole family to sample the colours, sounds, tastes and spicy aromas of India. Highlights of the festival include delicious food stalls, traditional and contemporary dance and music, and a grand finale fireworks display.

India’s best loved festival, Diwali symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and the renewal of life. To celebrate, families light small oil lamps (diyas) around the home and set off fireworks. Now you too can enjoy a taste of authentic Indian culture at Wellington's 10th Diwali Festival of Lights.

Date: Sun 16 Oct, 1pm - 10pm


Where: TSB Bank Arena, Queens Wharf, Wellington


Admission: Free


Website: www.asianz.org.nz

Meat Loaf’s 'Guilty Pleasure' Tour

Meat Loaf’s ‘Guilty Pleasure’ tour promises to feature a stellar array of Meat Loaf hits, both past and present. It will be big! It will be dramatic! It will ROCK!

Some people think big. Some people think huge. Then there's Meat Loaf. While other artists may have tried to match his scale and sound, so far none have come close. Happily, he's heading back New Zealand for a run of arena shows proudly presented by The Frontier Touring Company.

Meat Loaf certainly requires no introduction, he burst onto the world music stage in 1977 with his landmark release Bat Out Of Hell, which transformed him from a stage actor into a rock 'n' roll icon. This album has sold more than 43 million copies worldwide and is the third biggest selling record of all time, selling in excess of 200,000 copies a year!

Date: 26 Oct 2011 (Wed) 7pm


Venue: TSB Bank Arena, Queens Wharf, Wellington Central


Bookings: Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz


Website: www.meatloaf.net

The Sleeping Beauty: Royal New Zealand Ballet

Spectacular sets, sumptuous costume design and breathtaking classical choreography bring one of the most traditional ballets to life. Three years in the making, The Meridian Season of The Sleeping Beauty will be the highlight of 2011.

The Sleeping Beauty is the pinnacle of the classical ballet repertoire. The Royal New Zealand Ballet has spent the last three years creating this magical version of a fairytale favourite in order to bring you our biggest production to date.

Set to Tchaikovsky's soaring score, The Sleeping Beauty tells the timeless story of young Princess Aurora who falls prey to the evil fairy Carabosse - only a kiss from a handsome prince will break the spell and ensure her future happiness.

The Sleeping Beauty features some of the most famous and demanding choreography and, to this day, remains one of the must-see ballets of all time. This spellbinding traditional masterpiece will take your breath away.

Date: 28 Oct 2011 (Fri) - 05 Nov 2011 (Sat)

Venue: St James Theatre - 77 - 87 Courtenay Place, Wellington Central

Bookings: Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz

42nd Street

Don’t miss this high-kicking, high energy musical masterpiece exploding onto the St James Theatre stage this September.

Set in America in the 1930s, 42nd Street is an all singing, all dancing musical extravaganza that celebrates the essence of what dreams are made of. It is a story of hard work, being in the right place at the right time, talent and love. It is a timeless and inspiring tale of a small town girl’s rise to fame, from chorus girl to Broadway star.

42nd Street features dazzling art deco sets, costumes and choreography direct from the latest Tony Award winning Broadway revival. Get ready to move those dancing feet in songs like You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me, Dames, I Only Have Eyes for You and We’re In The Money.

Dates: Thu 29 Sep - Sat 15 Oct

Where: St James Theatre, Courtenay Place, Wellington

Websites: Official Website